NAIROBI TRANSPORT BOSS ON CRIME, CORRUPTION &

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 03 NAIROBI 004120

SIPDIS

SENSITIVE
SIPDIS

LONDON AND PARIS FOR AFRICA WATCHERS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 06/07/2017
TAGS: ASUP KCRM KE PGOV PHUM PINR
SUBJECT: NAIROBI TRANSPORT BOSS ON CRIME, CORRUPTION &
POLITICS

REF: A. NAIROBI 2215

B. NAIROBI 2974

Classified By: PolCouns Andre for reasons 1.4 B & D.


1. (C) Summary: The Chairman of Nairobi's private
transportation association describes how the city's criminal
organizations and police feed off the cash-rich sector. He
also expresses concerns about a possible Raila Odinga
presidency and mild support for Kibaki remaining in office.
End Summary.


2. (SBU) PolCouns met with Godfrey Chege, Chairman of
Nairobi's Matatu Owners Association ("Matatu" refers to the
ubiquitous privately-owned minivans that ply set routes
throughout the country, providing most passenger transport in
Kenya). The Matatu sector is a prime target of extortion by
both organized crime (such as the Mungiki, see ref A) and by
the police (see ref B). Each Matatu route in the city elects
a representative to the association's governing body. The
representatives then choose one of their own to serve as the
Chairman.

Police & Thieves: Corruption & Extortion
--------------


3. (C) According to Chege, there are about 50,000 matatus
operating in Nairobi. He claims that the Mungiki receive
protection racket payoffs from about half while several
smaller criminal organizations collect from the other half.
The Mungiki control routes that begin or end in
Kikuyu-majority areas. On average, each vehicle pays 500
shillings a day (USD 7.50) to operate, plus additional "fees"
when a new vehicle begins to operate on a route or a new
driver or apprentice begins working. On Chege's figures,
that means criminal organizations operating in Nairobi
collect about USD 375,000 a day just in matatu operating
fees, let alone the other matatu-related income and incomes
from various other extortion rackets focused on the slums and
poorer housing estates (monthly resident protection fees,
shopkeeper protection fees, etc.).


4. (C) Again according to Chege, individuals in the central
government and city hall split 5 million shillings (USD
75,000) a day as their take just from the Mungiki on
extortionate "operating fees" alone. They also get a cut on
the other rackets, but Chege said he did not know how much.
Chege maintained that for years the primary collector of
Mungiki payoffs of the Nairobi police was then Nairobi
Provincial Police Officer Mwangi Kingori ("Mungiki paid him
every Sunday"). Kingori is now the Provincial Police Officer
for Coast Province, based in Mombasa.


5. (C) Comment: PolCouns has heard this same allegation about
Kingori from multiple sources. Kingori was transferred to
Mombasa at about the time the government launched its
crackdown against the Mungiki. Kingori told Polcouns at the
time that "I have no patience for these coastal Muslims who
complain about a few arrests and say the government is
anti-Muslim. I see Kikuyus shot dead every day just because
they are said to be Mungiki. Shall I complain that the
government is anti-Kikuyu?" While not exactly defending the
Mungiki, Kingori conveyed a sense of identifying with them.
He is one of the most senior police officials in the country.
If the government were sincere about eradicating the Mungiki
criminal organization rather than just temporarily curbing
it, they would move against Kingori and other officials and
politicians well known as Mungiki associates. End Comment.


6. (C) Asked about the consequences for a matatu owner who
refuses to pay, Chege eagerly showed Polcouns the scars from
two gunshot wounds he says resulted from his refusal to pay
off the Mungiki in 2003. "When I complained to Kingori he
said "How do you know they were Mungiki and not just common
criminals? Was the word 'Mungiki' tattooed on their
foreheads?" Chege claims the police then refused to take his
statement about the attack.


7. (C) Chege indicated that in recent days Mungiki

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collections have come way down. "They still have some
strength in Eastlands, especially the Dandora housing estate
and the Mathare slums (both largely populated by Kikuyus),
but they have mostly been chased away everywhere else in the
city." He added, "The government allowed Mungiki to steal
from us for years, but when the Mungiki began to directly
challenge the government and to embarrass the government with
their terror tactics and police killings, then the government
had to act. When they sent in police to get the street-level
Mungiki there was little chance of innocent civilians getting
hurt because the police know full well who is Mungiki and who
is not. After all, they work with them every day."


8. (C) Chege maintains that since the Mungiki were beaten
back, the predations of the police and city officials have
increased. "We are a little better off now than when we had
to pay off both the police and the Mungiki or others like
them. Now, on most our routes, we only pay the police. The
police demand more now than before, about 700 shilling a day
(USD 10.50),but the increase is less than what we were
paying the Mungiki. But we all know that one day the Mungiki
will come back."


9. (C) Chege went into agonizing detail about how city
government officials and others in the administration fleece
the matatu owners over such issues as vehicle
road-worthiness, vehicle inspections and license plates.
When pressed, he also admitted that matatu owners often
employ unlicensed drivers and do not penalize them for
undisciplined practices (picking up passengers on the road
rather than using convenient purpose-made matatu stands and
general recklessness, for example). Chege, however,
maintained that "the police fine us and then pocket the fines
no matter what we do. A perfectly polite driver and a
completely undisciplined driver would both be forced to pay
off the police the same amount."

On Politics: Concern about Raila, Mild Support for Kibaki
-------------- --------------


10. (C) As the Chairman of Nairobi's Matatu Association,
Chege is well aware of the sentiments of the capital's small
business owners, most of whom are fellow Kikuyus. He
expressed the following political views:

-- "Raila (Odinga) is popular with young people because he
makes wonderful promises and they believe him. We their
elders have heard many wonderful promises from politicians
before. We know better than to believe such talk."

-- "The low level workers and the jobless all support Raila.
In Nairobi people of this class are mostly Luo or Luhya.
They believe that if Raila comes to power, they will receive
many direct benefits. Luos will refuse to pay their rent and
will demand to ride our matatus for free." The first two
months of a Raila presidency will see chaos in Nairobi, but
things will then settle down to business."

-- "Raila's 'Pentagon' (the senior political leaders from
various regions backing Odinga's presidential candidacy) are
all well known grabbers. They will be no better than the
grabbers in Kibaki's cabinet, except that Kibaki's men have
all eaten well these past five years and so are now full.
Raila's 'Pentagon' have not been in power, so they are all
hungry."

-- "Kibaki is a peaceful man. He is not like Moi. He will
not want blood shed to keep him in power. He would rather go
home. He will not preach hate. But some of those around
Kibaki will do whatever they can to keep power."

-- "Kibaki's economic policies have made us a bit better off.
In Moi's time all the matatus were wrecks. No one could
afford new vehicles. Look around you now at the number of
new and larger vehicles. The more large matatus the less
traffic congestion."

-- "Kibaki has been good for us, but he could do better if he
cared for the common man as much as he cares for his friends."

NAIROBI 00004120 003 OF 003



Bio Sketch of Godfrey W. Chege
--------------


11. (U) Chege was in the Kenyan Army for fifteen years, most
of that time in charge of motor pool operations. He ended
his military career at the grade of Captain. His last
assignment was as a UN peacekeeper in Namibia. "I saved all
my money from that deployment, then left the army in 1992 and
went into the matatu business with the help of my uncle who
already owned a few vehicles." Chege is a Kikuyu from near
Nakuru in Rift Valley Province. He is fifty years old.
Aside from his matatu business, he works as a freelance
insurance investigator and runs a farm.

Comment: Worries about Raila, Mild Support for Kibaki
-------------- --------------


12. (C) Chege's political comments are typical of Kikuyu
small business owners: Fear that the poor, especially the
Luo poor, will react to a Raila victory by claiming for
themselves a moratorium on paying rent and transport and in
general a level of impunity heretofore reserved only for the
rich and politically well-connected. Such sentiments likely
would surface initially following a Raila victory, but before
long reality would settle in. Raila is unlikely to encourage
such behaviour once he is actually in office, but he will
need to find some way to mollify his supporters among the
poor who have hopelessly high expectations of him.


13. (C) Chege's endorsement of Kibaki is noteworthy only for
its mildness. He seemed to hold affection for the President,
but at the same time expressed disappointment that he was not
a more dynamic, people-oriented leader.

SLUTZ